The present invention relates to a container for an electrical component or the like providing improved protection for the component. More particularly, the invention relates to a hinge unit for a cover fitted over the open end of a container for an electrical component or the like such as may be used in a motor vehicle.
Electrical components for use on motor vehicles often are mounted inside an electrically insulating case and mounted in a narrow space, such as inside the engine compartment of the vehicle. For a small electrical component such as a fusible link, the component is secured in a mounting case and a cover is fitted over the open end of the case to protect the component from external forces and vibration. For this purpose, the case must itself be electrically insulating and have a sufficient mechanical strength to protect the component inside from external forces and vibration. Such a case may, for example, be made of an elastic hard synthetic resin. The cover is coupled to the case by a bent hinge integrally provided at the edge of the open interior of the case.
An example of such a hinged unit is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The hinge unit includes a case a, a cover b for covering the open end of the case, and a thin flat hinge c for coupling the end b.sub.1 of the cover and the edge a.sub.2 of the end wall a.sub.1 of the case to each other. The case, the hinge and the cover are integrally formed of a hard synthetic resin or the like using a process such as injection molding.
When the cover b is closed, the hinge c is bent so that the hinge is located over the open interior of the case, as shown in FIG. 2B. However, since the side edge b.sub.2 of the cover b is not supported by the side edge a.sub.3 of the case a against an external force F.sub.1 acting on the cover, the cover moves into the open interior, as indicated at b', and hence the hinge c is greatly bent, as shown at c'. As a result, the hinge can be fractured. For this reason, it is generally recognized that the cover should be supported not only at the front and rear ends thereof, but also at its right and left (lateral) edges. It has still been desired, however, to provide hinge unit for a case for an electrical component for vehicular use in which it is not necessary to support the cover at both the right and left side edges but which is resistant to external forces.